Analysis and Jazz Guitar Solo ideas for a Jazz Standard - Lady Bird - Pentatonic, Lydian Dominant

I wanted to try a slightly different format. So here's a take on a song based Jazz Guitar Lesson: Analyze the chords and then talk about what concepts I use when improvising on it: Target notes, Arpeggios and pentatonic scales in jazz context.
All of this coming out of my own playing on Lady Bird (Tadd Dameron)/Half Nelson(Miles Davis).
The turnaround of this song is also a great way to work towards improvising over giant steps progressions.
What do you think about this new format? What would you like to see :)
Old recording of me playing Half Nelson: • Jens Larsen - John Eng...
If you want to jam on the song yourself you can use my backing track here: • Lady Bird - Backing T...
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[@NT-ze5nx]

I like the format Jens! As a jazz beginner, it's really helpful to know how you understand chord relationships / groups, how you're thinking about scales / chord scales, etc.

[@smatlanta1]

I love, Love, LOVE this new format! It's so much better to be able to learn to thoroughly understand the standard tunes and be able see how you apply everything to them. PLEASE do more.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Steve! I am glad you like it! I will try to develop this type of format :)

[@feratgoogle]

Very happy with this video on Lady Bird, Jens, as I am just studying it for my band.

[@JensLarsen]

Great! It is a bit long but there is a lot of stuff in there 🙂

[@TerebiJoke]

Hey Jens, big fan here! I only just now stumbled upon this video since I started working on Lady bird. It looks like this video is about 5 years old now, and the production value and editing on your latest videos has definitely gotten more polished and snappier. But, I have to say, I find this this raw long-form format is so much more helpful then any piece of jazz educational content I've seen (including your own paid content, like your Lady Bird web store lesson). Maybe the youtube algorithm pushes you to create quicker bite-sized videos with more entertainment value, but this actually feels like a real lesson, and I have a much better idea how you're thinking as a jazz musician. Your other videos are fun, and a good for giving me a glimpse of the gaps in my knowledge, but I feel like I walked away from this video with useful knowledge. I was noodling away on my guitar the whole time as you were talking, trying out a bunch of ideas as you were calling them out. Super helpful!

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Yes, I think it is safe to say that if I only made stuff like this then you would never have heard of me :D It is not really about the KZbin algorithm as much as it is about people being people I think. At the moment, I am experimenting with longer from live streaming content on Patreon, but I don't know if I will ever put that out on YT. I am however having a lot of fun teaching like that since it is pretty relaxed for me and the interaction with the viewers feels really nice.

[@bobravenscraft5376]

What I like is Now I can tell others you can play jazz with any scale or chord. It's your comprehension that IS JAZZ

[@josuegonzalez4705]

Thank you for sharing these wonderful lessons that have been a great blessing and a great help to me and many musicians, may God bless you and continue to add Wisdom about you Greetings from Dominican Republic

[@JensLarsen]

You are very welcome Josue! I am glad you find the videos useful!

[@MC-mi4ck]

This is so helpful. Thank you! So much good information.

[@chrish3694]

Great Lesson! These song analysis are very helpful to understanding the best way to approach the chords.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Varg! I am glad you like it! :)

[@itoeats]

Really really appreciate this video. Thank you for putting in all the effort to make us understand.

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful!

[@uropeanson]

Hi Jens, just wanted to let you know that these videos (some recorded years ago) are still a gold mine for those of us trying to learn jazz. I studied jazz a bit in college, switched to rock, and then came back to jazz during the COVID lockdowns. I'm just at the point now where I can see most of the arpeggios across the fretboard and connect simple ideas together. But in this video you've basically presented a whole nother layer of ideas, approaches and strategies. Using pentatonic scales as stacked fourths? Amazing! The four triads embedded in the G7/diminished chord? Unreal! That's like an entirely new universe of musical possibilities right there. I'm curious, did you learn these ideas from a teacher, or just from listening to records? Either way, thank you again!!!

[@JensLarsen]

I am really glad to hear that! To be honest, I don't remember where I learned about the triads in the diminished scale that is too long ago. The Pentatonics and quartal arpeggios was something I picked up from a friend of mine who plays sax.

[@jazzpedals]

F-7 / Bb7 is a backdoor progression and Abmaj is a subdominant through Modal Interchange

[@AntarblueGarneau]

A clue to where Coltrane got "Giant Steps" from. The bridge to "Have You Met Miss Jones" is "Giant Steps" - like. Also back home in Philadelphia Coltrane studied with a guy who was interested in root movements in 3rds.

[@JensLarsen]

There are many stories about how Coltrane got to Giant Steps, and indeed Have You met miss jones is one option 🙂

[@davidedalfarra8236]

Another option is that Giant Steps was inspired by a tune called Tune up by Miles Davis.

[@anwyllonmusic]

Thanks Jens. It appears that you and my teacher has a similar approach to improvisation ideas. One difference though that i am taking from this video is i am adding Dom7#5 Arpeggios to my practice plan. I like how you can get those outside sounds by super imposing one dom over another on b5 or 2....that is Edom7#5 and G#dom7#5 over D7. Another thing my teacher isnt too crazy about is triads. Not once in two years did he mention practicing triad Arpeggios... Again, ill add that to my practice plan.... The E min triad over Eb7 is a quick way to get to the #5 and b9. Other than that the approach is similar. I also like that there is emphasis on Arpeggios as opposed to purely thinking scalar... I switch off when guitarists talk dorion, or mixo, or ionion or whatever over a series of chords. Its ok to think scalar, but you must still target specific notes. This song, Beautiful love and Just friends is what i am checking out for my exam in nearly two months. Your videos always helps! Thanks Jens.

[@JensLarsen]

You're welcome! I would be surprised if my appraoch is considered exotic by anyone, it really is pretty simple. The Dom7#5 arp is an extra color you can add if you like the sound. I might guess that your teacher is talking more about the basic arps and that it doesn't have so much to do with the triads or arps as it has with how clearly you play changes? (That's the teacher guessing, but still...) For the rest you are right: We are playing moving chords so scales and modes are a lot less interesting. I also think that the standards you mention are really solid choices!! Good luck with the exam!

[@righturnclide]

what a great lesson. so much information

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Glad you like it 🙂

[@kkguitarlessons]

Hi Jens, thanks for the lesson! Very useful material and much better format in my opinion than streaming - for most of people that's way too much data to digest in one take. Unless of course you intend to store those streaming sessions on your page or KZbin...

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks Karol! If I was to live stream then I would probably leave it on my channel afterwards, though right now I would not be able to add in the chords in a live stream :)

[@br00klynkiwi77]

Love your videos man. I've really learned a lot from you thanks!

[@JensLarsen]

+Edwin Carranza Thank you Edwin! Glad you find them useful!

[@bobravenscraft5376]

Dude I'm a Metalhead. You make me want a 335. EVH said he loved his just wasn't cool enough for VH. Rock on. You are invaluable

[@twli]

Geez.... so much good stuff in this video. Months of practice. Thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad it was helpful! 🙂

[@atisoz]

Great video! More of these on more popular standards 🙌🏻

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Atis! Which ones do you have in mind?

[@atisoz]

Jens Larsen I really like stuff like satin doll, ain't misbehavin', all of me, fly me to the moon, Autumn leaves, just some that came off the top of my head

[@JensLarsen]

Ok! Good to know! That's certainly something I'll try to keep in mind :)

[@atisoz]

Jens Larsen great! For starters this is a great principle to follow

[@JazzLispAndBeer]

Very good, and instructive, playing.

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you! Glad you like it

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

It is the Flat VI, but yet made independant by the II V, a Tune like Afternoon in Paris Has alo the Bbmaj7 treated the same way so Lots of Standards have made use of Cmaj7 Bbmaj7 Abmaj7 with the II V added...Jens thank you for this lesson, I took some of your ideas and I love the way you solo on it grat groove!

[@composer7325]

Very good but your analysis with chords and modulations,if any,is better to study.I love your videos.Thank you.

[@JensLarsen]

+Peter Dunphy Thank you Peter! Very glad you like the videos!

[@amyferebee]

Thank You ! 🎶😎🎶

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks for listening

[@localpm]

Superb Jens, love this tune 🎸👌

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it!

[@omcho89]

Great lesson Jens! This stuff is gold, really thank you! Maybe you could do 'Round Midnight :)?

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Omar! I'll keep that in mind :)

[@AslanBlood]

Great concept, lesson wise. Cool ☺

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much Charles! Glad you like it!

[@JensLarsen]

What do you think about this format? Something you want to see more of or something different? Help out my channel by turning on notifications: click the bell next to the subscribe button!

[@benjaminbreda1886]

5.40 : Giant Steps comes from "Ondine" of "Gaspard de la Nuit" by Maurice Ravel for shure. Ses about 4.40 Cheers by the way.

[@LarrySiden]

I like the ideas, but I find this one a little long and rambling at times. I hope Jen gets the time to organize this material so it can be a bit more focused. We played Ladybird in my ensemble class before COVID hit and I hope we'll get to do it again soon. I took it upon me to memorize the Wardell solo which our instructor introduced us to and the horns get to play.

[@JensLarsen]

It is also a pretty old video 🙂

[@LarrySiden]

@@JensLarsen yep, I should have looked at the date.

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Of course I like your Lydian dominant on the D7 (it is commen) but still nice to have mentioned and why Your Cmaj7+5 is nice working when you study the arpeggio's cmaj7 on C and Db maj7 than it will real stand out there! also I would recommend not only the Triad pairs what you mention the're great Eb7 A & B of course but also to play the Eb-A triad and play for instance: two tones of them instead of three like Eb G-E A- Bb Eb and the same you could do with your D7 Lydian dominant like: D& E so: D F# E G# F# A G# B so in less time you have lined out more! I thank you very much I consider this a great lesson I wish my information is helpfull to it too!!

[@janders3205]

Giant steps may have come from the bridge of Have You Met Miss Jones but Ladybird turnaround is similar too.

[@raphexe]

great lesson and great playing !

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you very much! Glad you like it 🙂

[@dkwvt13]

This is great, I just got a "homework challenge" on this song yesterday at our jam. I'm going to crib some material here...! 😎

[@JensLarsen]

Thank you Donald! That's a great tune to work on!

[@dkwvt13]

Jens Larsen oops, and Thank You...!

[@JensLarsen]

I have a chord melody of the theme. I will send it to you 🙂

[@dkwvt13]

Jens Larsen you are beyond generous... can’t thank you enough!!! 🙏🏻

[@JensLarsen]

I send you a link over on Patreon :)

[@mannoplanet]

nice.... ran across this trying to figure out how the heck Dexter Gordon makes his "endless solo" lines on this and so many other songs.

[@rrdwiki]

Cool af! 10/10

[@julesfreshshit421]

Thank yoh so much! You saved me for my semestee

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome! 😁

[@claragary]

Great ideas, thank you!

[@JensLarsen]

Glad you like it 🙂

[@rileybird1428]

Hi Jens! Do you have any tips or videos about how to pick out the melody from song whether from site reading or listening to a tune? I sometimes find it difficult to pick it apart from the other musical movement going on. You are a fantastic teacher and thank you for all of the great content you put out!

[@JensLarsen]

Hi Riley, Not sure what you mean exactly, but did you consider learning the melody from a vocal version maybe?

[@ibanezrgt220a9]

wow thanks a lot

[@bjarnesegaard5701]

Hi Jens, can you put a tab up on your website for sale of this solo you did. I can use it as inspiration of how to connect different arpeggios and scalar runs from one chord to the next.

[@JensLarsen]

Hi Bjarne, To be honest I don't think it is really worth the effort to write out this solo given how old the video is and how little interest there is.

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Also on the D7 when you say G# 7 +5 I like it, it is just a small step to add B7 (octatonic) also B7+5 works nice(myxolydian with a b9) but it mirrors the G#7b5 or in opposite following order, I like to try always to combine alteration- staretgie's if possible maybe D7#11-D7b9 is resolving most nice...

[@545parsa]

Unrelated question Jens, if I superimpose an arpeggio over a chord, like a Maj7b5 on the 5th of a min7b5, or any other arpeggio doesn't matter, will it make a difference if I start the arpeggio from a note that isn't the root since it's an entirely different sound anyway?

[@JensLarsen]

You never HAVE to start an arpeggio on the root, it really depends on the melody you want on top of the chord

[@tohlfer]

Thanks Jens!

[@545parsa]

Hey Jens great lesson, just curious, do you do any classical music composing? As in writing orchestral scores, etudes, etc

[@JensLarsen]

No, I only know a (very very) little big band arranging in terms of arranging for sections.

[@alexg.7453]

Hello, I'm starting jazz guitar but don't know where to start. I learned basics like a few scales, the minor 7th arpeggios, a few chord shapes and things like that. How do I put it all together? Thx (:

[@JensLarsen]

Well, you probably want to learn the rest of the arpeggios as well... Maybe browse through this Playlist and see if there is something you feel like working on: kzbin.info/aero/PLWYuNvZPqqcHcRM5XL8rGFh1Xqkft77Qk

[@alexg.7453]

Jens Larsen Thanks!

[@antsonc]

Cool lesson, man, I'm still watching it but I need to say that I notice that You sometimes use sweep picking. Do You have any lesson covering sweep picking on jazz guitar? I mean, 99% of sweep tutorials deal with neoclassical progression. You brought me there with Your video about ways to confront with Giant steps :) Thanks in advance!

[@JensLarsen]

Thanks! I do indeed have some lessons, maybe browse this playlist: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3O1io17Z9Bji5o

[@antsonc]

@@JensLarsen lucky for me, I came to keep watching your video so I've found your reply, 'coz KZbin didn't send me any notification. I'll have a look soon, still there's a lot left to practice on Lady Bird. Tanx Lars, kind as Always!

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

Like follows: Bb F- G D(two 4th pairs) resolving to: G D B the same like: GD - EB-C# G# E# the other to everybody could work out them selves somehow Coltrane designed them or Eef Albers extracted them from his work or whatever

[@michelthegreatable]

Hi Jens, thanks for the upload! I was wondering if you had any tips or exercises on trying to play double-time on solos in songs with faster tempos. I'm trying to improvise playing sixteenth notes (using alternate picking) in a song where the quarter note is 161bpm, but the best I can do is quarter note triplets. The more I think about it, the more I realize I've heard many more horn players actually playing that fast than guitar players, and I'm wondering whether the guitar is just limited in that way... Thanks so much! Keep up the great content!

[@JensLarsen]

You're very welcome Vaz! There are a few sides to that problem. What is the max tempo that you are comfortable playing 8th note lines?

[@michelthegreatable]

Oh interesting, I wasn't expecting multiple sources of error haha. The max tempo I can play 8th notes is 250bpm.

[@JensLarsen]

Then it is probably quite optimisitic to expect to be able to play lines in a tempo equivalent of 322 bpm? I guess some of the things that can cause problems is 1. Technical(which it will be for you if you try faster than 125 bpm), 2. Timing (playing a lot of notes demands a lot of precision and you have to hear even 16th over a swing groove..) 3. You need to be able to play lines that are long enough over the chords since you have twice as many notes per chord.

[@michelthegreatable]

Good point, that goal is somewhat unrealistic in the immediate future just looking at the numbers. I'll try practicing with 16th notes at 125bpm so I can work on both the technical issues and timing, then I'll slowly increase the tempo. Thanks so much!

[@JensLarsen]

Maybe start by doing this on an even groove like a medium Bossa Nova, that way the 16th's feel more natural and you can first work out the lines and get used to that before you moved it to a swing groove.

[@charleshill9649]

Jens, this is off topic, but what about brief lesson explaining what's up with horns? Keep running across transcriptions written in different key than what my ear hears recordings to be...

[@JensLarsen]

Do you mean that horns are transposing instruments? I don't think you need a video for that. Trumpet and Tenor Sax are Bb instruments, so when they play a C it sounds like Bb to us, so there transcriptions are written out a whole tone higher. Alto and Baritone Sax are Eb instruments so when they play a C it sounds like an Eb and the transcriptions are written a minor third lower. Did you know that the guitar is also a transposing instrument?

[@charleshill9649]

@@JensLarsen Thanks, think I get it. Explains why transcriptions written in different key. Gotta wonder how it ever got this way - if a trumpets C sounds like a Bb, why call it a C?

[@JensLarsen]

@@charleshill9649 Because the Bb is like an open string on a Trumpet. The instrument plays that note easily like we play in E. My son plays the trumpet :)

[@JensLarsen]

@@charleshill9649 For learning the trumpet it is easier, same goes for tenor sax. You can better get a trumpet player to demonstrate that :)

[@bubbert]

Ahh I noticed you subbed in a few 9s for 7s. Nice :D

[@JensLarsen]

+Bharath Nagarajan Thank you! Yes chord symbols are there to be interpreted ☺️

[@eternalrainbow-cj3iu]

When one uses the octatonic or half -hole dimineshed on the G7 (nice choise) I would also mempasize the usage of 4ths resolving those four Triads, it is realy helpful

[@EricRobillard-b4j]

backdoor dominant

[@bobravenscraft5376]

BEST COMMENT YOU WILL EVER GET. PLEASE NEVER LEAVE US

[@waikittam]

is this Ibanez Artist 2630 Guitar ?

[@JensLarsen]

Yes, it's a '77 Artist 2630 :)

[@eduardovisa9533]

in spanish please

[@JensLarsen]

I don't speak Spanish, sorry.

[@DWScores]

@@JensLarsen Wouldnt mind working on spanish subtitles for your videos if you ever feel that might be useful for your channel, random idea :) Love your content

[@ReallyImWorking]

Sigh... This video exemplifies why jazz guitar is so off-putting. There isn't even a run-through of the song before it goes right into a catalog of chords. We haven't even heard the basic progression and already we're talking about harmonic substitutions. This approach takes all the fun out of music.

[@marshallpaul8453]

WHY YOU GUYS TALK TO MICH SHOW HOW TO PLAY IT SLOW

[@JensLarsen]

Who is Mich? I don't think I talked to him

[@bobravenscraft5376]

JAZZ IS A STATE OF MIND if you don't give a sht. Don't play jazz. Leave it to grownups and Real men!!!!!!!!!

[@manuelsandoval358]

As always to much talk, get to the point

[@JensLarsen]

Maybe don't watch 5 year old videos that are an hour long?